Extract from Influential Leadership: A Leader’s Guide to Getting Things Done
The power derived from your professional standing and expertise.
Credibility is the reliance awarded to someone based on trust and perceived expertise on the topic being considered. When making decisions, most people get input from others and they have to decide how much reliance to place on that input. Information from highly credible sources are more likely to be accepted at face value and not challenged, questioned or verified with another source. If someone doesn’t think you are credible they probably won’t believe what you have to say.
Credibility has capability and expertise at its heart. How people judge others’ expertise varies, especially if they have a fair amount of knowledge on the same subject. While some may think a formal qualification in a subject is sufficient, more experienced people will be looking for a solid track record as well.
Sadly, credibility is also rather susceptible to assumptions and miscalculations. It is impossible to get all the facts and by necessity people take shortcuts in deciding on the credibility of an adviser. On the one hand, those seeking to establish their credibility are likely to conveniently cloud the communication to make their credentials appear stronger than they are. On the other, those receiving the messages may only hear what they want to hear.
Suppose I want to establish a partnership agreement in a new territory. I will to get advice from a credible source otherwise I might get it wrong – and that could be both costly and embarrassing. To judge credibility I will certainly put a lot of weight on their qualifications and track-record in this type of agreement. I will also be interested to notice how they communication on their topic. Do they explain things with confidence? Do they respond clearly and assertively when questioned or challenged? Going deeper, I will want to know who else they have worked with, what endorsements they have and perhaps obtain some references. Maybe this is just me, but I’d also like to work with people who have been published in their specialist area and speak at conferences. These implied endorsements can make all the difference.
What this has got to do with becoming powerful? Remember that the definition of power I am using here is the “capacity to influence”. The person who has high credibility is much more likely to be able to influence me to buy their services, and pay a premium rate. They may also be influential in their profession and be able to sway opinion for their own purposes. The power of credibility comes from the ability to demonstrate expertise in areas where lots of people need help – and if you can do that much better than anyone else, you will become influential – at least in your arena.
Most people do not think deliberately about how to establish their credibility in the minds of their stakeholders. Those operating in the external market place may do this quite naturally as it is part of their stock in trade. Some of them get into trouble with exaggerated claims, but I will come to that in Chapter 6: Ethics. Other professionals are far less likely to think in terms of establishing their credibility and building trust, and this is a shame because it is one way in which people are missing out on major opportunities to become more influential.
If you’d like to learn how your credibility stacks up against the other sources of power, check out the Personal Power Diagnostic, it’s free!
Reflection questions:
- Think of a topic which is important to you right now. How would you judge the credibility of someone who could advise you on that topic?
- Who has leadership credibility in your organisation and why?
- Why are you credible in your business/subject/service?
- How do you communicate your credentials?
Here is a list of things which people often cite as evidence of credibility:
- Track-record
- Qualifications
- Awards Memberships (trade bodies, committees etc.)
- Publications (books and articles)
- Client lists
- Demonstrable command of topic
- Conference Speaking
- Newspaper mentions
- Endorsements and testimonials
- Achievements
- Judging awards
- Promotions
- Social Media statistics
As beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the credence given to each of the above also depends on who is doing the judging. For instance, the volume of Twitter followers and Facebook friends is falling fast in terms of credibility as more people realise how easy these are to manipulate.
Developing stronger credentials
- Make a clear decision about what you want to be recognised as credible in (or for).
- Research credible people in your occupation, profession or specialism. What makes you think that?
- Compare your credentials with theirs. What’s the difference?
- How can you close the gap and boost your credibility?
- What have they missed? Could you capitalise on their gaps?
- What must you stop doing which might be damaging your credibility?
- Beware false claims and exaggerations. These have a habit of backfiring.
If you’d like to learn how your credibility stacks up against the other sources of power, check out the Personal Power Diagnostic, it’s free!
Demonstrating stronger credibility
- When you engage with people, share your thinking and rationale. Tell them what you are doing, how you are doing it and why you are not choosing to take other courses of action.
- Don’t take shortcuts without explaining why it is safe and sensible to do so.
- Imagine you are in an internal market place and you are the product. Decide how to establish and build your credibility.
To establish your credibility you do not need to become a show-off or a blagger. What you need to do is be clear about what you are all about and then communicate clearly, assertively and consistently.
Colin Gautrey
Provocative Coach/Mentor | Specialism: Impact and Influence
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